FIRE BALL EXPRESS

The June 5, 1944 issue of LIFE magazine featured a pictorial entitled TO INDIA AND BACK IN 10 DAYS.
It chronicled the 26,000 mile trip of the FIRE BALL EXPRESS, a U.S. Army Air Corps transport flying urgently needed supplies on the established route from Miami, Florida to Chabua, India.

Below are the 30 original photographs used in the pictorial, all taken by LIFE photographer Thomas McAvoy (left).
and now part of the LIFE Photo Collection at Google Arts & Culture.
Captions are from the pictorial.

Fire Ball Express

Photographer Thomas McAvoy chats with co-pilot above South America.

Early on morning of May 5, Photographer McAvoy took a last look at U.S. soil as the Fire Ball circled Miami
and soared southeastward on the first lap of its passage to India.

Some five and a half hours later the big ship landed at Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico.
During brief halt here lunch was served to McAvoy and crews, weather reports were studied, fuel tanks refilled.

At Atkinson Field, Georgetown, British Guiana, crew which flew Fire Ball
on trip from Miami dropped off and a relief crew came aboard.

In the small hours of May 6 the Fire Ball eased onto the airfield at Belem, Brazil, erstwhile center
of a 19th Century rubber industry boom. The breakfast stopover here lasted 68 minutes.

At Natal, last stop in South America, flight schedule was delayed 12 hours
while mechanics repaired propeller governors which had caused trouble during day.

At Accra on African Gold Coast propeller trouble again delayed the Fire Ball for several hours.
McAvoy made use of pause to shower, sleep. Flight was resumed early on morning of May 8.